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All 243 seats in the Bihar Legislative Assembly 122 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Bihar Legislative Assembly seats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election for all 243 constituencies is scheduled to be held on October or November 2025. It will be conducted by the Election Commission of India.
The previous assembly elections were held in October–November 2020. After the election, the National Democratic Alliance formed the state government, with Nitish Kumar becoming Chief Minister. Later, in August 2022, Nitish Kumar led the JD(U) to sever ties with the NDA and formed a government with the RJD led by Mahagathbandhan. Later, in January 2024, Nitish Kumar led the JD(U) to sever ties with the RJD and once again formed a government with the BJP-led NDA.
Election Commission of India will likely announce schedule in September.
Poll Event | Schedule |
---|---|
Notification Date | TBD |
Last Date for filing nomination | TBD |
Scrutiny of nomination | TBD |
Last Date for Withdrawal of nomination | TBD |
Date of Poll | TBD |
Date of Counting of Votes | TBD |
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Photo | Seats contested | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | ![]() | ![]() | Dilip Kumar Jaiswal | ![]() | TBD | |
Janata Dal (United) | | ![]() | Nitish Kumar | ![]() | TBD | |
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | Chirag Paswan | ![]() | TBD | |||
Hindustani Awam Morcha | ![]() | Jitan Ram Manjhi | ![]() | TBD | ||
Rashtriya Lok Morcha | ![]() | ![]() | Upendra Kushwaha | ![]() | TBD | |
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Photo | Seats contested | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rashtriya Janata Dal | ![]() | ![]() | Tejashwi Yadav | ![]() | TBD | |
Indian National Congress | ![]() | ![]() | Rajesh Kumar | ![]() | TBD | |
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation | ![]() | ![]() | Mahbub Alam | ![]() | TBD | |
Communist Party of India | ![]() | ![]() | Ram Naresh Pandey | ![]() | TBD | |
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | ![]() | ![]() | Ajay Kumar | ![]() | TBD | |
Vikassheel Insaan Party | ![]() | ![]() | Mukesh Sahani | ![]() | TBD | |
Party | Flag | Symbol | Leader | Photo | Seats contested | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan Suraaj Party | ![]() | Prashant Kishor | ![]() | 243 [2] | ||
Bahujan Samaj Party | ![]() | ![]() | Mayawati | ![]() | 243 [3] | |
Aam Aadmi Party | ![]() | ![]() | Arvind Kejriwal | ![]() | 243 [4] | |
Plurals Party | ![]() | ![]() | Pushpam Priya Choudhary | ![]() | 243 [5] | |
Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party | Pashupati Kumar Paras | ![]() | TBD | |||
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen | ![]() | ![]() | Akhtarul Iman | ![]() | TBD |
The 2025 Bihar Assembly election campaign centered on a mix of local and socio-economic issues. Unemployment and migration were prominent themes: parties noted that many Bihar youth migrate out of state for work, and competing manifestos promised large-scale job creation. [6] Caste politics also remained a key factor. All major parties pledged to support a new caste census and "social justice" measures, reflecting widespread calls to address the state’s caste-based inequalities. [7] Corruption and governance were attacked by the opposition; for example, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the Nitish Kumar government of "institutionalising corruption" and misusing government schemes (like a women’s outreach programme) for electioneering. [8] The ruling alliance countered by criticizing the RJD’s past ("jungle raj") and highlighting its own welfare record. A major flashpoint was the voter roll revision (Special Intensive Revision, SIR) carried out by the Election Commission. Opposition parties claimed the intensive revision was a partisan tool, alleging mass deletions of voters and promising protests or even an election boycott. [9]
The NDA comprises BJP, JD(U), LJP(R), HAM(S), and smaller allies. JD(U) pushed for a 50:50 seat-sharing formula with the BJP. LJP(R) leader Chirag Paswan publicly backed Nitish Kumar as CM face. [17]
The INDIA bloc includes RJD, Congress, Left parties, and VIP. Negotiations among allies were reportedly settled by mid-2025, with RJD taking the largest share.
Jan Suraaj Party has announced that it will contest all 243 assembly constituencies independently. [18]
All parties engaged in a mix of high-tech outreach and traditional campaigning. RJD’s social media team went viral with AI-based videos mocking rivals, while BJP and JD(U) used WhatsApp groups and door-to-door campaigns, especially through women vistaraks.[ citation needed ] Congress focused on planned public rallies, while Jan Suraaj relied on grassroots mobilisation through panchayat visits and Prashant Kishor’s statewide padayatra. [19]
The most prominent controversy surrounded the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. Opposition parties alleged disenfranchisement of minorities and migrants. The matter reached the Supreme Court and became a centerpiece of the INDIA bloc’s protests. [20]
An incident involving a portrait of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at an RJD event triggered backlash. NDA leaders and the SC/ST Commission condemned it, demanding apologies. The RJD termed it political vendetta. [21]
Prime Minister Modi held mega rallies in Motihari and Siwan, announcing infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores. Tejashwi Yadav addressed backward caste conventions and youth-focused meetings. Jan Suraaj's Gandhi Maidan rally in Patna drew significant crowds and launched the party’s full-state tour. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi planned joint INDIA bloc rallies in August and September.[ citation needed ]
On the 24th of June 2025, the Election Commission (EC) notified that it will conduct a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar before the elections. The exercise requires all the voters from the state to fill forms to be included in the voter list. People whose names were not in the 2003 voter lists need to provide additional documents. The notification also mentioned that the documents needed to be submitted within a month (with 25th July being the deadline).
Further, the voters need to provide one of the eleven documents mandated by the EC, with the common documents such as the Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration cards, not included as valid documents. A significant number of people in Bihar do not have any of the 11 documents. Furthermore, a significant population of the state migrate in other parts of India for work or study and it is estimated that at least 75 lakh (7.5 million) people from Bihar migrate to other parts of India. [22] Critics have argued it would be difficult for such voters to be a part of this exercise. Such factors have led to fears of mass exclusion of voters. Opposition parties - such as the INDIA alliance - alleged that such an exercise will favor the ruling NDA alliance. The Election Commission denied these allegations and claimed that the exercise is lawful and constitutional. [23] [24] [25] [26]
The SIR was challenged in the Supreme Court. On the 10th of July, the court advised the Election Commission to consider the Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration cards as valid documents for the exercise. [27] On the 21st of July, the Election Commission responded by saying that it will not accept the Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration cards as valid documents, as suggested by the Supreme Court. [28]
In August, Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the opposition, Bihar, alleged his name was removed from the voter list after the SIR exercise. The Election commission dismissed the allegations as factually incorrect [29] and declared the EPIC number shown by him to the media was fake. The poll body asked him to submit the fake voter ID card to the ECI office by 16 August, 2025. [30]
On August 2025, Rahul Gandhi made allegations against BJP about election commission. [31] [32] The ECI dismissed the allegations as misleading, [33] [34] and asked him to submit the allegations under oath or apologise to the nation. [35]
Polling agency | Majority | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | MGB | Others | ||
Polling agency | Majority | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | MGB | Others | ||
Alliance/ Party | Popular vote | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ±pp | Contested | Won | +/− | ||||
NDA | Bharatiya Janata Party | ||||||||
Janata Dal (United) | |||||||||
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | |||||||||
Hindustani Awam Morcha | |||||||||
Rashtriya Lok Morcha | |||||||||
Total | |||||||||
MGB | Rashtriya Janata Dal | ||||||||
Indian National Congress | |||||||||
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation | |||||||||
Communist Party of India | |||||||||
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | |||||||||
Vikassheel Insaan Party | |||||||||
Total | |||||||||
Other parties [ broken anchor ] | |||||||||
Independents | |||||||||
NOTA | |||||||||
Total | 100% | — | 243 | — | |||||
District | Seats | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | MGB | Others | ||
West Champaran | 9 | |||
East Champaran | 12 | |||
Sheohar | 1 | |||
Sitamarhi | 8 | |||
Madhubani | 10 | |||
Supaul | 5 | |||
Araria | 6 | |||
Kishanganj | 4 | |||
Purnia | 7 | |||
Katihar | 7 | |||
Madhepura | 4 | |||
Saharsa | 4 | |||
Darbhanga | 10 | |||
Muzaffarpur | 11 | |||
Gopalganj | 6 | |||
Siwan | 8 | |||
Saran | 10 | |||
Vaishali | 8 | |||
Samastipur | 10 | |||
Begusarai | 7 | |||
Khagaria | 4 | |||
Bhagalpur | 7 | |||
Banka | 5 | |||
Munger | 3 | |||
Lakhisarai | 2 | |||
Sheikhpura | 2 | |||
Nalanda | 7 | |||
Patna | 14 | |||
Bhojpur | 7 | |||
Buxar | 4 | |||
Kaimur | 4 | |||
Rohtas | 7 | |||
Arwal | 2 | |||
Jehanabad | 3 | |||
Aurangabad | 6 | |||
Gaya | 10 | |||
Nawada | 5 | |||
Jamui | 4 | |||
Total | 243 |